This invention relates to a powered system, such as a train, an off-highway vehicle, a marine vessel, a transport vehicle, an agriculture vehicle, and/or a stationary powered system and, more particularly to a system, method, and computer software code for real time optimization of at least fuel usage, emission output, and/or speed of a powered system while performing a mission.
Some powered systems, such as, but not limited to, off-highway vehicles, marine diesel powered propulsion plants, stationary diesel powered system, agricultural vehicles, and trains or other rail vehicle systems, are powered by one or more diesel power units, or diesel-fueled power generating units. With respect to rail vehicle systems, a diesel power unit is usually a part of at least one locomotive powered by at least one diesel internal combustion engine, and with the locomotive being part of a train that further includes a plurality of rail cars, such as freight cars. Locomotives are complex systems with numerous subsystems, with each subsystem being interdependent on other subsystems.
An operator is usually aboard a locomotive to ensure the proper operation of the locomotive, and when there is a locomotive consist, the operator is usually aboard a lead locomotive. A locomotive consist is a group of locomotives that operate together in operating a train. In addition to ensuring proper operations of the locomotive, or locomotive consist, the operator also is responsible for determining operating speeds of the train and forces within the train. To perform this function, the operator generally must have extensive experience with operating the locomotive and various trains over the specified terrain. This knowledge is needed to comply with prescribed operating parameters, such as speeds, emissions, and the like that may vary with the train location along the track. Moreover, the operator is also responsible for assuring in-train forces remain within acceptable limits.
In marine applications, an operator is usually aboard a marine vessel to ensure the proper operation of the vessel, and when there is a vessel consist, the lead operator is usually in control of a lead vessel. As with the locomotive example cited above, a vessel consist is a group of vessels that operate together in carrying out a combined mission. In addition to ensuring proper operations of the vessel, or vessel consist, the lead operator also is responsible for determining operating speeds of the consist and forces within the consist. To perform this function, the operator generally must have extensive experience with operating the vessel and various consists over the specified waterway or mission. This knowledge is needed to comply with prescribeable operating speeds and other mission parameters that may vary with the vessel location along the mission. Moreover, the operator is also responsible for ensuring that intra-vessel and inter-vessel forces and mission location remain within acceptable limits.
When operating a train, train operators typically call for the same notch settings when operating the train, which in turn may lead to a large variation in fuel consumption and/or emission output, such as, but not limited to, NOx, CO2, etc., depending on a number of locomotives powering the train. Thus, the operator usually cannot operate the locomotives so that the fuel consumption is minimized and emission output is minimized for each trip, since the size and loading of trains vary, and locomotives and their power availability may vary by model type.
However, with respect to a locomotive, even with knowledge to ensure safe operation, the operator cannot usually operate the locomotive so that the fuel consumption and emissions are minimized for each trip. For example, other factors that must be considered may include emission output, operator's environmental conditions like noise/vibration, a weighted combination of fuel consumption and emissions output, etc. This is difficult to do since, as an example, the size and loading of trains vary, locomotives and their fuel/emissions characteristics are different, and weather and traffic conditions vary.
Similar issues arise when an operator attempts to optimize speed of a train. Though an operator may be skilled at operating various train configurations, ensuring an optimized mission speed is not uniformly possible across various train configurations. Furthermore, situations may arise where improper information is initially provided when establishing a mission plan. Though not detrimental to the operation of the train, having improper information may result in the train not operating where optimized fuel use and/or emission output is realized.
A train owner usually owns a plurality of trains, wherein the trains operate over a network of railroad tracks. Since individual operators are required for each train, wherein each operator's skill and ability to optimize a train's performance varies, the number of factors relating to ensuring optimization of fuel use, emission output, and speed, to ensure proper use of all resources in the network, increases exponentially. Because of the integration of multiple trains running concurrently within the network of railroad tracks, wherein scheduling issues must also be considered with respect to train operations, train owners would benefit from a way to optimize fuel efficiency and emission output in real time so as to save on overall fuel consumption, while minimizing emission output of multiple trains, and while meeting mission trip time constraints. Furthermore, owners and operators of individual trains, or other powered systems, would realize similar financial benefits if real time information were to be provided to optimize the powered systems' performance throughout a mission being performed.